Sunday, October 16, 2005

The bambino is five months old today

And I totally had the sh&t scared out of me.

I was sitting at the kitchen table, writing thank-you cards for his baptism. He was sitting on my lap. I'm mulling over what to write when I notice that he's got a pen in his mouth. I pull the pen out of his mouth and notice the cap is missing.

This is where I started to FREAK OUT. My memory is blurry, but I believe that I shoved my fingers in his mouth to try to retrieve the pen cap. That must have activated his gag reflex, because he started making litle choking noises. At that point, I was convinced that he had inhaled the cap and was going to die.

I jumped up, baby in my arms, and smacked his back (no, this is NOT the right thing to do but it was instinct). Everything I knew about infant CPR flew out of my mind. I ran to the garage door to try and find my husband. Couldn't get to him. So I went back to the table and... noticed the pen cap laying on the kitchen table.

That's when I noticed my arms and legs felt weak and I was shaking. I think I had stopped breathing myself and not taken in any oxygen.

I went outside, found my husband, and said, "I just had a MAJOR freak-out moment." I told him what happened, and he's like, "That's why you need to keep the table clean." !!!!

Number one, it's not my "job" to keep the table clean, Mr. Leaving a Nut and Bolt on the Desk. (Husband: "I don't expect him to be over at the desk." Me: He's a baby. I hold him. Wherever I go, he goes.")

Number two, I THOUGHT OUR SON WAS CHOKING. A little sympathy, please?

So naturally, while my husband went on doing whatever he was doing (checking pool chemicals? Puh-leeze!), I sat down at the outdoor table and tried to calm down. I held the baby, and tears welled up in my eyes. Then he started gumming my hand and going, "Ahhhraarraaarraaarr." I realized if he was doing that, he was okay. And I should, therefore, be okay. I told him I was sorry for whacking him on the back. Then I vowed that every pen cap in the house would be removed, every tabletop would be cleaned, and the wool rug in the living room that kicks up wool balls would be vacuumed every other day. I started picturing my house as a sterile, lifeless place, akin to San Francisco's public toilets, where nothing is detachable and the whole place rinses down and disinfects itself after each use.

Time to baby-proof the house. And start some anti-anxiety medication. Between pen caps and bird flu, I'm a walking basket case.

Happy 5th month birthday, little guy. Mommy loves you more than you know.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Look who's babying now

Tom & Katie? I must say I didn't see that one coming. Yet.

Okay, still better than Kevin & Britney. Yikes.

Still reeling from Nic Cage and his wife naming their kid after Superman (Kal-el... his birth name).

By the way, I swear I don't watch E! News Live. I actually heard about Tom & Katie on The Situation Room (unfortunately, Le Wolf was out...).

And now...

OVERHEARD IN A MAJOR CHAIN STORE (WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE TARGET)

(Enter mom, six-year-old girl and baby.)

Girl: Abby is spoiled!

Mom: No she's not.

Girl: Yes, she is. She gets everything!

Mom (not making eye contact): She's a baby. She needs a lot of things right now, so I get them for her.

Girl (getting slightly screechy): See - she gets everything!

Mom (exasperated): Oh, like I didn't get you everything when you were a baby.

(End scene.)

Is this what I have to look forward to, once I double my existing child base? Hmmmm....

By the way, Abby is TOTALLY spoiled. Haha.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Parenting a four-month-old

So it's been WAY TOO LONG since my last post. I've been busy learning how to be a parent... AND starting up work again.

As the three-month mark approached, and brought my start back to work with it, I began to worry. My mom would tell me, "What if [day care] lets him cry? What if they say, 'You're cute, but there's another baby over here crying, so you'll have to wait'?" My mother-in-law told me, "You should just stay home."

But I was committed to going back three days per week (down from five days).

But the time three months came along, I *really* wanted to work. I needed a break from the "Mommy Show". Women feel guilty admitting that, and other women may deride them for that, but it's true: staying home is the hardest job there is. Some people are cut out for it. I needed stimulation outside of the home and, realistically, a break from my son, no matter how cute and wonderful he was and how much gravity of responsibility for him I felt.

So I went back to work; my mother-in-law started coming on Mondays to watch the baby; my husband dropped him off at daycare on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and I picked him up in the afternoons.

And though there is no such thing as "free time" any more, I feel that I'm a much more effective parent. I really enjoy my time away, and I really enjoy my time with him. I feel like I've got the best of both worlds. And yes, day care could actually end up being beneficial for the baby as well. I'm sure some would agree, and others would disagree. But it's a personal decision.

I still feel like I'm learning all of the time. For example, a couple of weeks ago, the baby started to be fussy and not sleep well. I noticed he had what looked like the start of ingrown nails on two fingers. He also had gas. And he had already developed eczema and his first cold. But the fussiness lingered. Sleep became a blessed event when it occured. I even took the baby to the doctor to find out what was wrong. Then, last Wednesday, I was home playing with him when I noticed that two of his fingers had green spots on them!! The same two that were red before. I just knew that meant infection. I took him to the doctor two hours later, they drained one area (no crying!), and put him on Keflex. Looking on the Internet the other night, it appears that he has the most common hand infection in the United States. It can be caused by staph or strep, and starts with a break in the skin (like from an ingrown nail!) and then nail biting or hand-sucking (like my little pre-teether was doing). BINGO!!!! Not to mention that once he had been on antibiotics for about 24 hours AND taking Tylenol, he started sleeping again.

I feel totally lame.

Well, hopefully the second one will not end up as psychologically scarred as the first, the one who dealt with the first-time parents!!!!

All in all, my life is even more wonderful than it ever has been... every day is an adventure, and truly interesting. And seeing that beautiful little face smiling at me, and patting his head as he nestles up against my chest... well, it's just the best.

Here's my little mijo at three months. Love that face!

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

The Baby Arrived!

May 15: Felt like my period was about to start all day. Undaunted, we had breakfast out, did errands, went to the mall, and even hung some new pictures in our living room at 10:30 p.m.

May 16: At 2:45 a.m., woke up. Walked to the bathroom, and amniotic fluid started running down my legs.

3:15 a.m. - Called different offices to leave messages, cancelling appointments for the week.

3:45 a.m. - In my hospital gown, I got checked out by nurses. I was already 4 cm!

5:15 a.m. - The cramping is not fun at this point. I can't get an epidural until the anesthesiologist gets out of surgery. I get a 1/2 dose of fentanyl (which I had refused before because I was worried about feeling weird in my head or sick to my stomach!). Turns out I'm over 6 cm. dilated already. The fentanyl takes the edge off of the pain.

5:30 a.m. - The anesthesiologist usually uses one shot to numb patients. I need three because, although it's not painful, I can feel him putting the epidural in. After the epidural, my legs feel like they have Orajel on them. But I can use them still and feel them. Awesome.

I use the bedpan once, but another time, they realize my bladder is full and want to catheterize me. Remembering having a cystoscopy once at the urologist's office, I am really scared and don't want them to do it. But then they mention that pushing with a full bladder can lead to internal tearing. I let them catheterize me. It was totally painless. Another fear conquered!!!

10:45 a.m. - The nurses announce that I'm fully dilated and effaced and that they're getting the room ready so I can start pushing. I'm really surprised. Was it truly time?

11:15 a.m. - Time to start pushing. I wasn't sure if I wanted a mirror, but then I found it was kind of exciting once the head was further down to be able to see the baby. I was actually smiling! Good epidural, too: I could feel pressure that told me it was time to push.

1:20 p.m. - After about 30 min. of intense pushing, the dr. tells me I can keep pushing without waiting for a contraction. I'm all for that. The baby just shoots out. Success! The doctor puts him in my arms after he's wiped down. My husband is misty. I say, "I can't believe this baby was inside of me!" The doctor laughs and says, "What did you THINK was in you?" I'm like, "I don't know - a 2D black-and-white ultrasound?"

So on May 16, I officially became a mom.

It's been three weeks since the baby was born, and I feel like I learn something new about baby care every 2 to 3 hours.

He's sweet and cute, and gassy as all get out, but we love him dearly!

Colin Michael
Lilypie Baby PicLilypie Baby Ticker

Thursday, May 12, 2005

39 Weeks Tomorrow and a teensy bit of progress

Went to the dr. today, sure I had gained six zillion lbs. as I had been hungrier the last three to four days. Turns out I was exactly the same weight. Even with the ice cream I've eaten the last three days, trying to cool off my tongue. (Yep, the thrush is back!)

I'm about 65% effaced and 1 cm dilated. My dear hubby, who is the sweetest guy, was SO EXCITED when I called him after the appointment. I could hear it in his voice. He wanted to call his parents, and I'm like, "Well... you don't want them to start calling every day or sitting in the car, waiting to race to the hospital, do you?" He agreed. I didn't want to kill his excitement, but I also didn't want to be a watched pot. (So obviously I wasn't calling my parents, either!) I said, "If they ask, you can tell them. Otherwise, just tell your co-workers!" I also reminded him that I could be like this for another two weeks or so, or I could go into labor tonight. You just never know. But he was so giddy... very cute!

I picked up a few more essentials from Target, and put in refills for my prescriptions at Longs so I wouldn't have to refill them next week (and, of course, I need that thrush medicine STAT!).

At least I feel like the baby's room is together and I have most other projects done. He's free to come whenever he wants now!

Friday, May 06, 2005

38 Weeks and still chugging along

An excerpt from my appt. on Wednesday:

Dr.: (apologetic) I'm sorry, you're not dilated at all.

Me: THANK GOD!

Dr.: What?

Me: I'm not ready to have this baby. I have too much to do!

Dr.: Oh, okay. (perkily) Guess what? You're not dilated at all!

So that was my visit. All healthy, otherwise.

Adding to the list of things I cannot do because my stomach's in the way and trying to work around it makes my back hurt:

(1) Empty the dish drainer behind the sink.
(2) Wash dishes in the sink.
(3) Load/empty lower rack of dishwasher.

The prior list included pick things up off of the floor, and lean over and work with children.

Things I'm surprised I can still do:

(1) Tie my own shoes.
(2) Paint my own toenails.
(3) Carry laundry baskets (kind of).

The baby's room is nearly done... just needs a rug, and for my husband to refinish his dresser (which was his father's as a child as well).

I'm crossing my fingers that the baby holds out until his due date. Life is too busy right now!!!

Monday, April 18, 2005

35.5 Weeks: remembering last dr.'s appt.

Forgot to mention funny conversation with dr.'s partner at last appointment.

Dr. B: Well, let's see how everything's going.

Me: I was wondering if you could palpate me a bit, because my husband was wondering where body parts were.

Dr. B: (Looks over glasses at me, in silence.)

Me: No, not my body parts - the baby's body parts! He already knows where mine are.

Dr. B: I was going to say - I hope he already knows where your body parts are. That's why you're here.

:)

And it's ticker time again...

baby web sites

Friday, April 08, 2005

34 Weeks and asleep at the wheel

It just hit on Thursday... that's right... my ability to fall asleep while at work, that glorious first-trimester super-power, has returned!! Tonight, stupid me, I thought I would come home, take a nap, assemble some lasagna, put it in the oven, do my HypBirth CD... instead, I fell asleep and stayed that way from about 5:30 to 8:00.

Needless to say, husband is bringing dinner home. :)

Prenatal appts. are now two weeks apart. Saw one of dr.'s partners, as dr. was out of town. This dr. was just delightful! Really nice personality.

For a few weeks now, the baby has seemed to like to hang out in the upper right quadrant of my stomach. The dr. said that is not unusual, esp. due to the placement of the mother's internal organs. (All I can say is, "Thank God I'm long-waisted or else I'd be in trouble!") He suspects the hard thing jutting out in that area is the little butt, with the back going along my central line, and head lower.

The medicine the dr. put me on about four to five weeks ago for the Cough That Would Not Cease gave me thrush so I've spent over a week sucking on troches. Last Friday I was prescribed stronger cough medicine for nighttime, which I take ONLY at night, as it's a Class C drug. I Must say the baby seems to react more gently now that I'm not coughing so horrendously.

AND... we've found our furniture. One morning, my husband woke up and said, "Let's go to Babies 'R' Us. I think they have something new." He was right. And we loved it. The crib is waiting in the garage, and the changer/dresser will be picked up this weekend.

I also enjoyed a shower, held by my co-workers, last Friday, as well as a shower, held by family and friends, the following day. And if the last shower was Attack of the Onesies, this was the Attack of the Washcloths!!!

That's gonna be one clean baby!

And now that we've taken the baby care class, we actually know how to clean him. Kinda. (Can't wait to see us try!)

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

29 Weeks and still going....

I've got my next prenatal appointment tomorrow. I can't believe that last time I went in, I was sick (had lost my voice, been coughing, recovered my voice), have coughed the last four weeks since then, and now have been sick this week with more coughing (back to the wet cough from the dry cough), with a stuffed-up nose, killer sinuses, and a plugged-up head.

On top of that... it's back to the hospital about 3 hours after my appointment for our second childbirth prep class! Argh!! At least the first class went well. Although I was surprised that, when asked on a questionnaire what the "worst possible outcome" could be for delivery, most women put "C-section". I mean, come on! Not like I'm jumping at the chance to be cut open, but there are worse things. For instance, I put:

(1) Death (me or baby)
(2) Long-term health complications (i.e. stroke, paralysis, cerebral palsy or mental retardation due to anoxia, etc.)
(3) Health care professionals/family members not following birth plan, making my delivery harder, and pissing me off

I just figure, get the baby out of there however you can so we can go on with our beautiful life. But true, the thought of being unloaded and reloaded doesn't sound that great. But pushing a baby out of my vagina is not the pinnacle of my life, and not being able to do so is not going to totally destroy me. I just want a healthy baby - as healthy as possible - and a good start to our family.

In the meantime, I guess I should try to get some sleep... mouth-breathing, of course.

Thursday, February 17, 2005

27 Weeks Today

The baby is certainly active! Punch punch, kick kick. Not to mention roll, roll. What the hell is he doing in there?

BTW, I think, perhaps, that the Shermag Natural Lock/Recline Grand Glider with the matching ottoman COULD be the most comfortable glider/rocker ever. Esp. for those of us tall people.

My mom held a baby shower for me last Sunday, so I travelled with hubby to other part of the state to be feted with cake and presents. Lovely time. Usually hate attention on myself but it was really nice to see everyone. AND... people went crazy with gifts. There were 15 people there, and somehow I ended up with a TON on 0-3 months onesies... which is fine but if I add those to the ones I got from my friend in TX (who graciously sent stuff her son had grown out of).... my kid now has 53 onesies. And only one person bought off of my registry - totally decked out the crib. Bless her.

Except for back/butt pain, which limits how much I can work out.... doing great. And on winter break this week! Yippee!

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

25 Weeks as of Thursday

Attack of the Sciatica! Battlestar Sciatica! Not Without My Sciatica!

I thought my right butt cheek was a problem. Apparently, my left one got in on the action. I've been sick since Sunday (dry cough developed into burning cough and lost voice... ugh!) and only went back to work today for a 1/2 day. But the thing that put me down and out on Monday was that all of a sudden, I got sciatica in my *left* side. So badly that I couldn't walk. The whole day. Sure, I could hobble to the bathroom as needed, but it was PAINFUL.

Oh, AND I had the worst pain from a gas bubble in my esophagus YET. So I was in bad shape.

I found that going to sleep on my back with the offending leg propped on a pillow really helped. And the physical therapist suggested sitting on an ice pack, rather than a hot watter bottle.

I also went to TWO baby showers in less than 20 hours last weekend: one at 3 p.m. on Friday for a co-worker, then one at 10 a.m. Saturday for a cousin-in-law. This after only attending one baby shower in my life before then (said cousin's older sister's first shower). Pretty fun! My first shower is in 1-1/2 weeks; the next is in mid-March.

And tomorrow... the big weigh-in/check-up at the doctor's office. Hurrah. ;p haha All I know is, the baby has been quite active and keeping me company. It is funny to watch my stomach move and roll and jerk around. I'm like, "What are you doing in there, little man? Building something?"

baby web sites

Friday, January 21, 2005

Thursday Was 23 Weeks - WOW

So it was about time to make sure the baby registries actually had a good amount of items on them. Hubby and I thought they were just for a few items to give people ideas what to buy if they wanted to give gifts. Turns out we were so wrong. I guess baby registries are great ways to keep track of what you need and what you'll still need to buy before the baby comes!!! Now... the registries are looking a lot more "healthy".

As am I. My stomach "popped" right about December 31. I look definitely pregnant now. Still carrying very front so... I still have a curvy waist! It's the weirdest thing. I look more pregnant from the side than the front.

Last checkup (21 weeks) was super-clean... have gained a appropriate amount of weight (15 lbs., and I'm sure at least 3-5 of that was just cranberry bread from Christmas visiting with my parents!)... totally healthy.

In other baby news... friends of ours are expecting not just a girl, but a boy AND a girl! Unfortunately, as of about 2 weeks ago, "mom" is living in the hospital (well, "dad" is living there with her as well) b/c she started having contractions at around Week 24. Flat on her back. Lame.

And in MORE baby news... another friend of ours, who moved back East for a year, then eloped in May... became a father last Friday - and none of us knew his wife was pregnant. The baby was premature - just 3.5 lbs. - but has required no machines for breathing. The new parents hope to bring her home soon.

Congrats to all!